Key lime pie with cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk

This No Bake Key Lime Pie is a must try no bake dessert recipe! Creamy, smooth, sweet, & full of that tart key lime flavor inside a prepared graham cracker crust. So easy to make with some convenient ingredients like a ready to use crust, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese. Top it off with a homemade key lime whipped cream for the best dessert. 

For more key lime recipes be sure and try my Key Lime Cheesecake and these Key Lime Pie Cookies. 

This easy to make key lime pie is a no bake recipe that takes just minutes to prepare! The creamy, smooth, tart & sweet key lime filling is topped off with a key lime whipped cream, all inside a graham cracker crust. 

It's a light, fluffy, smooth, cool dessert that is perfect for summertime or for any get together. 

Ingredients Needed

Here are the simple ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. 

• Key Lime Pie
  • Ready Crust Graham Cracker Crust - Make it easy and just use the store bought crust. I actually prefer the store bought crusts because they hold together better when cut, and don't crumble like homemade ones do. 
  • Cream Cheese - For best taste and texture use full-fat cream cheese.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • Key Lime Juice - This is not the same thing as lime juice. This is a bottle of key lime juice that specifically says 'key lime juice' on the front. You can find it in the juice aisle next to the bottled lemon juice and other juices. 
  • Powdered Sugar - Just a little sweetener for the pie so it's not super tart. 
• Key Lime Whipped Cream
  • Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Key Lime Juice
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Lime Zest

How To Make an Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie

Learn how to make this easy no bake pie recipe with these easy step by step instructions. Read to the bottom of this post where there is a recipe card with the full recipe, including the ingredients, instructions, and all my tips. 

• Cream Cheese + Sweetened Condensed Milk : Add the softened cream cheese and can of sweetened condensed milk into a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until combined and smooth. Make sure no lumps of cream cheese are in the batter. 
• Key Lime : Add the key lime juice and powdered sugar. Beat until combined. 
• Pie : Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust. Cover with the enclosed plastic lid (from the crust) and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 
• Whipped Cream : Prepare the key lime whipped cream by combining all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, or use a mixing bowl + hand mixer, and beat on low speed (increasing speed as needed) until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the pie, pipe on top of the pie, or serve a dollop over each slice. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success with this recipe in your own kitchen!

• Refrigeration : This pie needs at least 8 hours, or even overnight, of fridge time so the pie can set, thicken, and the flavors can develop. Don't try to shorten the fridge time because it will affect the texture and taste of the pie. 
• Key Lime Flavor : If you prefer a strong & tart key lime flavor, then omit the powdered sugar from the key lime pie mixture. 
• Full-Fat Dairy Products : Use the real, full-fat cream cheese and the regular sweetened condensed milk in this recipe. The pie tastes so much better when full fat products are used instead of reduced-fat and lite products. 
• Key Lime Whipped Cream Topping : Don't skip this! There are plenty of ways to serve the whipped topping. You can spread it on top of the whole pie. You can use a large piping tip + piping bag to pipe it on the edges of the pie. Or, dollop a spoonful of it over each slice of pie before serving. 

No Bake Key Lime Pie FAQ's

• How Long Will Leftovers Last?
  • The best thing about this key lime pie is that the leftovers get better and better! Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. After that time, the crust will start to soften.
  • I keep the leftovers inside the tin foil pie tin and cover it with the enclosed plastic lid (from the graham cracker crust). 
• Can I Make It Ahead of Time?
  • Yes you can! This pie needs at least 8 hours of refrigeration before serving. 
  • You can even make it up to 24 hours ahead of time too. 
  • Do not add the key lime whipped topping until right before serving. 
• Can I Freeze a No Bake Pie?
  • I would recommend not freezing this pie. Once thawed, the pie will separate and look curdled because of the dairy in it. 
• Variation & Substitution Ideas
  • Graham Cracker Crust : If you prefer homemade, then go ahead and make your own crust. Make sure it's a 9" pie size.
  • Garnishes : I like that extra lime zest on top of the pie, but you can omit that if wanted. Sometimes the zest of limes and lemons can be bitter, so it's not always something that everyone likes. 

More No Bake Pies You'll Love

• No Bake Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Pie
• White Chocolate Berries & Cream Pie
• Cream Cheese Cherry Pie
• No Bake Coconut Cream Pie
• No Bake Snickers Cheesecake Pie
• Root Beer Float Pie
• Oreo Cream Pie
• No Bake Black Forest Pie

No Bake Key Lime Pie

This No Bake Key Lime Pie is a must try no bake dessert recipe! Creamy, smooth, sweet, & full of that tart key lime flavor inside a prepared graham cracker crust. So easy to make with some convenient ingredients like a ready to use crust, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese. Top it off with a homemade key lime whipped cream for the best dessert. 

Prep Time 10 mins

Fridge Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 392 kcal

Key Lime Pie

• 1 (6 oz) 'ready crust' graham cracker crust
• 2 bars (8 oz each) cream cheese softened
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• ⅓ cup key lime juice
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Key Lime Whipped Cream

• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice
• zest of a lime optional

• In a bowl with a hand mixer, or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until combined and no lumps remain. 

  * To soften cream cheese : leave it on the counterprior to starting recipe. Or you can place the unwrapped cream cheese onto a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30-45 seconds at the most. You want it soft to prevent lumps in the filling mixture, but not hot at all. So watch carefully. 

• Add in the key lime juice and powdered sugar and blend until combined. Pour mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust and smooth out the top.

• Cover with the enclosed plastic lid from the crust and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Key Lime Whipped Cream

• When ready to serve combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and key lime juice into a bowl. Beat together until thick and stiff peaks form. Start on low speed and increase as needed, this will avoid the cream from splashing everywhere as you beat it.

  Spread on top of the pie or put it inside a piping bag with a large tip, and pipe it on top of the pie. 

  * You can either mix the lime zest into the whipped cream or zest it on top of the pie as shown in the pictures. 

Cream Cheese : Use full fat cream cheese for best texture and taste. Make sure the cream cheese is well softened before using it to avoid lumps in the batter. I microwave the unwrapped cream cheese for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave, just to slightly soften it without it being melted or hot. You can also leave the bar of cream cheese at room temperature for about 1 hour before starting the recipe. 

Graham Cracker Crust : I prefer the 'ready crust' that you buy at the store. It holds together better than homemade and does not crumble when cut. Make sure to get the smaller 6 oz crust and not the '2 extra servings' size crust. 

Key Lime Juice : You will find key lime juice in the juice aisle of the grocery store. It's usually by the bottled lemon juice. Key lime juice is not the same thing as fresh squeezed lime juice. Key lime juice comes in a bottle and specifically says 'key lime juice' on it. No need to juice key limes either. Just buy the bottled key lime juice. 

Lime Zest : When zesting the lime only zest on the very outer surface of the skin. The more you zest into the skin, the more bitter the lime zest will become. 

Calories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 238mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 163mgIron: 1mg

Keyword easy key lime pie no bake, no bake key lime pie